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A practical strategy to increase participation and reduce challenging behavior during leisure skills programming
J Sigafoos1, M Tucker, H Bushell
1Schonell Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Mental Retardation
|June 1, 1997
Summary
Providing prompting, reinforcer sampling, and assistance increased participation and reduced challenging behavior in adults with severe disabilities during leisure activities. These positive effects were maintained even with reduced prompting frequency.
Area of Science:
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Developmental Disabilities
- Assistive Technology
Background:
- Individuals with severe disabilities often face challenges in participating in leisure activities.
- Behavioral interventions are crucial for enhancing engagement and reducing challenging behaviors in this population.
- Leisure skills are vital for improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.
Observation:
- Leisure materials were initially absent, then provided without support, followed by a structured intervention involving material sampling and guided assistance.
- A reversal design was employed to isolate the effects of the intervention conditions.
Findings:
- The intervention, incorporating a 5-minute prompting sequence with material sampling and assistance, led to increased participation.
- Simultaneously, the prompting sequence was associated with a significant reduction in challenging behavior.
- Improvements in participation and behavior were sustained even when the prompting sequence frequency decreased.
Implications:
- Structured prompting and assistance can be effective in improving leisure participation for individuals with severe disabilities.
- Reducing challenging behaviors through targeted interventions enhances the quality of life and engagement during recreational activities.
- The findings suggest that intervention intensity can be gradually reduced while maintaining positive outcomes, offering practical applications for support staff.